February i, 1888 ] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST*, 
S6r 
THE PLANTING ENTERPRISE IN TRAVAN- 
CORE, SOUTHERN INDIA. 
[We greatly regret that by an uufortunato over- 
sight the following letter, containing information 
whioh we highly value, should have been delayed bo 
long. — Ed.] 
Olivers, Nagerooil, 4th Oct. 1887. 
(To lite Editor of the " Tropical Agriculturist.") 
Dkar »ir, — Unexpected delay has occurred in 
sending you the statistics of plantation work 
in Travanoore, but I have now the pleasure 
of presenting them to you for publication. I hope 
these will become world-widely known, and therefore 
write some explanatory remarks, which may bo use- 
ful to those who may be not well acquainted witli 
this part of the globe on which we move. 
TheBe statistics do not contain all the plantations 
in Travancore : those being omitted, on which, owing 
to the failure in coffee, no work is now carried on. 
The estates now reported are divided into four 
Districts. The Assamboo or Southern District begins 
very near the south end of the mountains, about 20 
miles from Cape Comorin, and extends for some 25 
miles northward. Then a space occurs until about 
due east from Trcvandrum, where the Centred District 
begins, and extends to and beyond the pass in the 
hills, through which the high road from Quilon 
to Thencottal runs. Then another long space 
intervenes, and the Purmade District is reached. 
After that, far away in the extreme north and east 
of this country, is the Kannan Devan District on 
mountains of higher elevation. 
Elevation. — The Assamboo and Central Districts 
are nearly the same. Peerraade higher. Kannan 
Devan much higher still. 
Rainfall increases as you go from the south to 
Peermade; but again is much less on K. D: this 
being farther from the sea to the east. 
Cultivation. — In this, the Kannan Devan is nowest, 
and it contains thousands of acres yet untouched. It 
has very little coffee, and tho tea thero is but new. 
The chief cultivation is cinchona. A letter from this 
district states, that the tea is of too rooent a date 
to havo an opinion as to its value, and that tho 
cinchona bark has for young trees shown a good 
analysis, and that if prices in the market are en- 
couraging, they are prepared to export a considerable 
quantity of gnod bark. Until this year, this district 
had great difficulty in modes of acc.-ss: but the 
present Government has sanctioned a liberal grant 
for roads in reply to an application by our Associ- 
ation. 
As to the other throe districts, OOPPBE was begun in tho 
south by tho Grants and Frnsors, and others moro 
than 20 years ago, and many entered with hope into this 
enterprise in all these disti icts. As in Ceylon and other 
places, so here, colfeo hai suffered very much from leaf 
disease and wind : but it still holds on in some places; 
and even fair crops havo been lately obtained. I 
do not think that our Travaucoro planters aro so 
down-hearted as to agree with a cry which I see in your 
T. A. for September, '' Farewell to Coffer." Wo have 
men still to be found, on the contrary, who face even 
the difficulties of coffee with the hope, that, by tak- 
iug duo care, this despised article with tho reviv»d 
prices will reward their diligence. 
Cinc hona has not been vory extensively planted, but 
it has grown well. I saw a letter lately from a 
planter in the southern district who has a Urge 
arieage of cinchona. Ho gives decided preference 
to a good hybrid betweeu C. Succirttb)-n and C. 
I.*- 1 1 riana, and has been successful in propagating 
this variety by grafting on succirubra storks. In this, 
following the plan of Mr. W. Smith of Mattakellic, 
ho fiuds that not only tender ends are suitable but 
• ven mature wood from smaller branches : any faults 
in the growth being corrected by pruning. The export 
of bark has hern begun too recently to speak of results, 
but as to future prospects for rinrhona in Tnivanrore, 
he thinks that the climate and the very froe soil (so 1 
very important) uuito in giving ground for tho hope, 
that Travancore a* an exporter of rich bark* Iim » 
bright and prosperous future before it. 
71 
Other Products.— I have very little to say of these. 
Cacao and Pepper are likely to succeed at low elevations, 
and on suitable soil. The latter has been long known 
as an export from this country, and was formerly a 
profitable Government monopoly. 
Tea. — Like our brother planters in Ceylon, we have 
substituted tea for coffee on many estates ; and this pro- 
cess is still going on with increasing speed, and well it 
may with the eucouragement already received. Tho 
planting of tea here has not yet attained to age and 
extent enough to enable me to give statistics of yield per 
acre, but I have full authority to show that tho quality is 
really superior, and is already accorded a high plac-3 
in comparison with the teas of Assam and Ceylon, witnoss 
tho oxtract which I gave in my former litter from 
Messrs. Wilson, Smithett & Co. I have also corrobor- 
ating testimony from Messrs. Gow, Wilson k Stanton's 
Market prices. Thus we have in the Central District 
Ponmudi (not Conmudi as misprinted) at Is. -Id. and in 
the Southern D^trict Seafifld at Is. 7' 1 . prices realized. 
From Bel ford, estate, which adjoins Seafield, samples of 
tea were sent to Messrs. Arbuthnot Latham k Co., 
London; and I quote from the reports of 
two exports who examined the samples : — 
" These teas are considered the finest that have yet 
been receivod from Travancore. The quality is perfect, 
and they havo a most distinctive liquor with bright golden 
infused leaf, and, as there is nothing to approach 
them in the marker, they would no doubt mi et with 
strong and spirited competition. Valuation :— Orani/e 
Pekoe 3s. to 3s. 2d. Pekoe Tea 2s. 3d. to 2s. 4d." This v »s 
of course from fine plucking. Prom the Peermade 
District, tea has been sold in the London market for tho 
last two years, and the prices have ranged up to 2s. 2Jd. 
A glance through the market prices lists in London 
shows that the shipments from Travancore sale after salo 
have fetched prices that compare favorably with tho 
prices realized for all other toas, either Indian or Ceylon. 
I cannot but emphasizo this fact, and the more so, 
becauso this enterprise in Travancore is scarcely out of 
its infancy. 
As to soil, your footnote to my letter in T-A. of August 
indicates the opinion, that tho soil in Travancore is 
superior to that in Ceylon, and there is a froenoss in 
tho soil here which is very favorable. As to olim&to, 
that of Travancore is wall known to be humid : the 
continuous line of mountains running parallel with the 
sea-coast and so near to it, confines the vapours, and 
causes them to charge the air with moisture, And this 
is very favorable to the growth of tea. 
Wo have a great advantage also in cheap labor, and 
easy access to ports for shipping] and again we have 
abundance of wood for firewood and making che.'ts. 
From the whole of the above, I can exultingly carry you 
with me to the conclusion, that, in this enterprise, wo can 
fearlessly compote with tho world, and, with tho 
Missing of Providence on our work, wo can with con- 
fidence anticipate a future of prosperity. — Your'a 
sincerely, JOHN COX, 
Chairman, Travancore Planter*' Association. 
TAPIOCA. 
Our food supplios are derived from many widely 
different ordors of plants, bulbs and roots. Among 
tho plants which supply food for man, the manioc, 
mandioc or manchot, also called tho cassava, is a 
native of the warm regions of America, and was 
cultivated by tho inhabitants of Brazil and Mexico. 
It has also been introduced into India, and is grown 
about Calcutta and Madras. It flourishes better on 
the bordors of the sea and on islands than in the 
interior of the continent. On tho coast of Coromandcl 
the roots are more fibrous, and, therefore, inferior to 
those raisod in Malabar. It is extensively grown in 
Guiana, the West Indie*, S'.r.vts Sottlemonts, IW 
vnrious parts of Africa. 
It belongs to an order romarkablo for the preva- 
lence of acrid and poisonous juices, snd is nearly 
allied to tho physic nut of Jamaica , noted for tho 
fierce acridity of its seeds. Nor does the mandioc 
